Drying apparatus



Sept. 23, 1924.

J. J. MILLER DRYING APPARATUS 1922 2 Shegts$heet 1 Filed Aug. 28

1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. J. MILLER DRYING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28

Sept. 23 1924.

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

nmrme arranarus.

Applicaflonflled August 28, 1922. SeriaLNo. 584,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-JoH1\ J. Mum, a

citizen of the United States, residing at 600 dr W. Erie Street,Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented becertain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This'invention relates to improvements in drying apparatus and has forits principal object the provision of a simple and efiicient means fordrying the hands and face or the hair of a person in a sanitary andrapid manner, and which can also be used for other purposes, andparticularlyfor drying articles of glassware, dishes and thelike.

One of the important objects of this invention is the provision of anair drying apparatus which shall be compact and efficient, and which iscomposed of a minimum of parts, and therefore not likely to get out oforder.

Another important object of thls invention is the provision of anelectrically operated air drying apparatus, provided for the readydelivery of a blast of instantaneously heated air, and which consists ofa plurality of electrically heated coils or resistance element overwhich a current of air is drawn or forced by means of an electricallyoperated fan or the like.

Still another important object of this invention is the provision of anelectrically operated drying apparatus'provided for the instantaneousdelivery of a blast of heated air which shall be so constructed andmounted that it is capable of being adjusted universally in anydirection, and which therefore can be conveniently used in connectionwith ractically any article from which it is desired that moisture maybe evaporated.

A still further object of this invention is A further important objectof the invention is the provision, in an electrical air ying apparatus,of suitable resistance coils over which the current of air is ada ted todrawn or forced, and thereby eated, which resistance coils areconstructed in combination with a series of baflie plates or the like,so that the air which is drawn or forced over the coils will becompelled to follow a circuitous path, and thereby the ful(l1 heatingefficiency of the coils be util- 1ze Other and further important objectsof theinvention will be apparent from the disclosures in theaccompanying drawings and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings, andhereinafter more fully described.

In the. drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the improved air dryer of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the curved line 2-2 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view of one of the removableheating nozzles of this invention, shown enlarged.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the'nozzle looking at the same from thedelivery end.

Fig. 5 is a vertical view, partly in section, :howmg a slightmodification of the invenion.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates a base or stand upon which theimproved air drymg means of this invention is mounted, and 12 shows theouter shell of a ball and socket joint of well known construction,having a spherical member 14 operating therein, which spherical member14 forms an integral portion of the casing 16 of the device, the shapeand construction of which obviously may be varied as desired.

The casing 16 is made in two parts, as shown, and is held together byscrews or bolts 18 or the like, and a central frame is positioned in thecasing, as shown at 20, having a motor '22 mounted therein by means ofscrews 24 or. the like.

The motor 22 is provided with the usual shaft, upon the end of which ismounted a series of fan blades'26 or the like@ A circular bafile plate28' is positioned in the casing 16 in front of the fan 26, and isprovided with a series of holes or openings 30 at the outercircumference thereof, as

shownin both the figures, in order to deflect the entering current ofair to the outer ed s of the device, as shown by the arrows.

emovably positioned in both the front and rear of the casing are nozzles34, as

shown, each of said nozzles having mounted therein a number ofresistance elements or heatmg coils 36, as shown, over which a currentof air is adapted to be drawn or forced by the fan blades 26. 'Mountedin conjunction with the resistance coils 36 is a series of metallicbaflie plates 38, which have their dished peripheral edges alternatelystraight and curved, as shown, and adapted for deflecting the current ofair as it flows through the nozzles 34, and thereby causing same tofollow a circuitous path around the baflle plates 38, and in that mannerinsuring a more thorough contact of the air with the heating coils orresistance elements 36, and a consequent better heating ofthe same in ashorter space of time, and with a minimum amount of heating surface. Asillustrated, the curved and straight bafile plates are fastenedtogether, the curved plates being attached to theinterior of thenozzles.

As will be noted, binding posts 40 are provided upon each of the nozzles34, whereby electrical connections 42 may be readily applied thereto,and the wires 42 to the heating means are connected in parallel with a"having a shaft extending into the casing upon which the fan blades 26are mounted. This modification is rovided for use with motors which areliale to become heated in operation, and which would be particularlyliable to occur in the construction shown in Fig. 1, wherein a blast ofhot air is being continuously passed over and through the motor. In theconstruction shown in Fi 5 this difii'culty is eliminated by having t eintake nozzle 34 positioned at the upper rear edge of the casing, asshown, immediately above the motor, or

in any other convenient location as desired.

A plurality of such intake nozzles 34 may Y also be provided ifnecessary. It will be obvious that the intake nozzle may be omittedentirely from the construction, and

openings simply placed therein, provided sufficient heat is delivered bythe air passing over 'the heating elements in the delivery nozzle.

The current having-been switched on to the motor, which switch alsosupplies current to the heating coils 36, immediately propels the fanblades 36, thereby drawing a current of air into one of the nozzles 34over the coils 36 in said nozzle 34,- which coils are heated by thecurrent, and in conjunction with the dished bafiie plates'38 in thenozzle, a maximum heating of the air is attained, the construction ofthe baffle plates being such that the air in passin through the nozzle34 is constrained to fo ow a 01rcuitous course, as will be evident. Theair havingbeen passed through the casing by means of the fan blades orpump 26, is now deflected downwardly, as shown by the arrows, andimpelled out through the delivery nozzle 34, which also contains aseries of heating coils 36 and baffle plates 38, whereby the air isadditionall and fully heated. The heated air thus disc arged may be usedfor-practically any drying or similar purpose, as has heretofore" beenpointed out: The universal mounting of the device provides an additionaladvantage, which will be readily apparent.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details ofconstruction varied throughout a wide range, without departing from theprinciples of this inven-'.

tion, andI therefore do not-purpose limiting the invention otherwisethan as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: 1. In an air-blast drying apparatus, the

. combination with acasing, a ball and socket mounting therefor, a motorsuspended in said casing, fan-blades rotatably carried, by said motor, abaffle plate in juxtaposition with the fan-blades, aligned inletand-outlet nozzles carriedby said casing at opposite sides thereof, andheating elements positioned in said nozzle.

2. In an air-blast drying apparatus, the combination with a casing, aball and socket mounting therefor, a motor suspended in said casing,fan-blades carried by said motor, a perforated ba-flle plate injuxtaposition with the fanblades, aligned removable nozzles attached tosaid casing, heating elements in said nozzles, and a plurality ofbaflles in said nozzles.

3. In an air-blast drying apparatus, the combination with a casing, aball and socket mounting therefor, a motor suspended in said casing,fan-blades carried by said motor, a perforated baflle plate injuxtaposition with the fan-blades, align ed removable nozzles carried atthe opposite sides of said casing, heatin elements in said nozzles, anda plurality o dished baflies alternate ones of which extend to the innerwalls of said nozzles and are provided with centrally disposed openings.

4. In an air-blast drying ap aratus, the combination with a casing,ai-ball and socket which extend to the inner walls of said nozz'les andare provided with centrally d1sposed openings, and heating elementsinterposed between said baifles.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN -J. MILLER.

